Norwegian cruise ship needs tow into NYC port

May 4, 2014
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Norwegian Breakaway / Richard Drew, AP

by John Bacon, USA TODAY

by John Bacon, USA TODAY

A Manhattan-bound cruise ship became stuck in the Hudson River on Sunday after the ship's steering and propulsion system malfunctioned, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Frank Iannazzo-Simmons, a Coast Guard public affairs specialist, said the Norwegian Breakaway reported a problem at about 7:40 a.m. ET, and the ship was tugged to its pier less than three hours later. The ship was returning from a seven-day Bahamas cruise.

Iannazzo-Simmons said the ship reported that its azipod steering and propulsion system was not functioning at 100% capability.

"We have a pretty strong tide here, so they wanted to hold off coming in," Iannazzo-Simmons said. After a delay of about 90 minutes, the ship was ordered to provide a tow plan, he said. The tow took place at around 10 a.m., when the water was reasonably calm.

The Norwegian Cruise Line tweeted that passengers sailing out Sunday on the Breakaway should delay their arrival at the pier until 2 p.m. The tweet said the ship's departure would be delayed until 5 p.m.

The ship was the scene of a tragedy in February, when a 4-year-old boy died after being pulled from its swimming pool. A 6-year-old boy was revived. The Coast Guard said the ship was 40 miles off of Cape Lookout, N.C., when the call came in, and a Marine helicopter shuttled the survivor to a nearby hospital.

The Norwegian Breakaway, billed by the cruise line as the largest cruise ship ever to home port in New York City year-round, holds about 4,000 passengers.

Norwegian Cruise's website boasts that the Breakaway "combines the best of New York City with the most magnificent amenities at sea. Breathe in the fresh ocean air and connect with the sea like never before along The Waterfront, a quarter-mile oceanfront promenade lined with restaurants, bars and spectacular views."

The ship made its maiden voyage in 2013. For a deck-by-deck look at the vessel, click through the carousel below.